Minister of State in charge of policy implementation, Joram Gumbo has been arrested on charges of criminal abuse of office.
Gumbo’s arrest follows hard on the heels of yet another high ranking official and former tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira who was nabbed in connection with abuse of office during her reign as social welfare minister.
According to Gumbo’s charge sheet, the former transport minister is believed to have influenced the formation of Zimbabwe Airways where he seconded officials from his ministry to act as directors while also renting out his sister Mavis Gumbo’s apartment in Chishawasha Hills.
“In March 2012, accused as the then minister of transport and infrastructure development caused formation of Zimbabwe Airways a private entity. Upon its formation, two officials from Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development were appointed Directors of this Private Limited Company which was incorporated as Zimbabwe Airways with Company Number 3015/12.
“The accused corruptly and single-handedly picked his sister Mavis Gumbo’s house whose address is Number 1436 Gletywin, Chishawasha Hills for use as the Headquarters for Zimbabwe Airways,” reads Gumbo’s charge sheet.
Reached for a comment, ZACC Spokesperson John Makamure confirmed Gumbo’s arrest saying he is facing charges of criminal abuse of office.
“I can confirm he has been arrested. He is facing criminal abuse of office,” said Commissioner Makamure.
One of the cases Gumbo is being questioned over is the Zimbabwe Airways deal which saw Government losing millions of dollars,” said Makamure.
Corruption has been singled out as Zimbabwe’s biggest problem derailing economic development and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s commitment to fight the cancerous disease has been lukewarm with only a handful of people arrested since he took over power in 2017.
